Titan Raga toasts the modern "ghumakkad" mom...

In a new spot, Titan Raga gives #KhudSeNayaRishta a new twist - this time, the theme is motherhood.

Raga, Titan's watch brand for women, has time and again launched ad films on the subject highlighting women empowerment. It is an ode to what the brand calls the 'new Indian woman'. Once again 'Titan Raga' has launched an ad campaign centred upon the same thought, albeit with a different stance.

While the brand has always been about the new relationship a modern woman is trying to find with herself, in the new campaign - '#MomByChoice' - she is redefining the role of motherhood.

Pat came the reply: "Although there was no deliberate attempt to not include men, this time we wanted a conversation that concerned women, and the premise of a working pregnant woman excited all of us. By redefining motherhood, she is redefining an aspect of being a woman and that is what Titan Raga is all about."

Conceptualised by Ogilvy & Mather, the ad film opens at a family gathering. A man raises a toast and urges a mother-to-be to deliver a speech at the gathering. Although, she initially refuses to speak out, however, after a glance at her Titan Raga watch she smiles and agrees. She points towards her mother, and thanks her for the unconventional way she brought her up. She thanks her mother for her travel tales, for completing her Ph.D. at the age of 45, and even loving her own life, as much as she loved her daughter. She signs off by saying - 'motherhood shouldn't be a sacrifice, but a choice'.

"The idea was to bond with our target audience at an emotional level, and not talk about the functional benefits of the watch, which has always been Titan Raga's strategy. This time the insight was the apprehension and fears of any woman before she conceives and during her pregnancy that whether her life will change or not. Would she still have the freedom to party or travel? And the team believed that most of our TG would vibe with this insight," says Haque.

Released on January 20, the campaign reiterates the brand positioning of 'Khud Se Naya Rishta'. The script was conceptualised by Ogilvy Bangalore, and the film has been directed by Vinil Mathew of Breathless films. It will be seen primarily on television and digital platforms.

"As of now this is the only TVC with a digital surround to push the campaign, and create conversation on the digital platform. The media spends are expected to be around Rs 6 crore on television," informs Haque.

Over the past few years, the brand has taken up the larger conversation surrounding women and femininity such as career, marriage and gender biases at the workplace with its '#KhudSeNayaRishta', '#HerLifeHerChoices' and '#BreakTheBias' campaigns.

Timing it perfectly?

afaqs! asked the experts, 'Although, the plot is very sentimental, will consumers get connected with it?'

Carlton D'Silva, CEO & CCO, Hungama Digital Services, says, "I love this take... It's more genuine, emotional and relatable, and I'm sure most mothers (or mothers-to-be) will be seeing this and relating it with their life. It's the kind of stuff that really works well in the place. Also, it's been shot well. It's simple and to the point, yet keeping the emotional element as the centrepiece of the ad."

According to Bikram Bindra, vice-president and strategic planning head - Delhi, Grey Group, the plot isn't overly sentimental. It doesn't belabour the point, and because the relationship between a mother and child is so universal, it is bound to strike a chord with viewers.

"The most refreshing thing about this spot is that it makes audiences re-evaluate their perceptions of what a mother should be. We have grown up being fed a very stereotypical image of a mom, across all forms of popular media, as someone who is sacrificial and perpetually accommodating. Advertising has done its own bit to perpetrate a linear and very unidimensional mother, so this makes for a nice new story to tell. Parenthood should not be at the cost of one's identity. The bit about retaining your individuality, and making the choices you want to make, is what makes this film a part of the larger brand narrative," says Bindra.

"In terms of execution, the film has the typical finesse and sheen one expects from a Raga film, keeping in mind the potential target for the brand. While I enjoyed this treatment, the point that the film is making could have been made differently, and maybe even more pointedly with a more intimate, personal conversation between the mom that chose her own path, and the new mom-to-be," adds Bindra.